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Ha'iwale has many different species. Their appearance varies. It is very hard to find. The best places are gulches not traveled much and crossovers on summits or bogs. I have not seen them on ridge trails especially trails well traveled.
Background Information
The scientific genus is called cyrtandra. Hiker's actually refer it as cyrtandra rather than its Hawaiian name of Ha'iwale. There are a ton of endemic species (at least 53 of them) of cyrtandra and it seems like each valley or island has its own variation. On Oahu, there are some rare ones in the Southern Ko'olaus.
Ha'iwale
This species of cyrtandra is called grandiflora. We observed this species in a gulch in the Southern Koolau area in 2017. The leaves are serrated and most cyrtandra in general seem to have a serrated edge.
Ha'iwale
This species of cyrtandra is called longifolia. The nickname is the Longleaf Cyrtandra. This one was in the Alakai Swamp trail, 2018. It only occurs on Kauai.
Ha'iwale
We saw this cyrtandra flowering on the Ko'olau Summit trail (May 2018) right before we reached Waimano. I was unable to identify the name of it. It appears a more common cyrtandra.
Ha'iwale
I think this is a cyrtandra. I saw it under some uluhe on the way to the Peahinaia Summit.
Ha'iwale
Here is another different looking cyrtandra located on KST near Pu'u O Kona 2018
Cyrtandra
Located on the KST near Pu'u O Kona 2018
Cyrtandra
- May 2018
- Located on KST near Waimalu Summit
Starting to flower
Sources
- Flower Plants of Hawaii, 735-781
- UH Botany
- Notes
- Cyrtandra seem to be single stem and leaves hang
- The leaves are also pointed at the tip
- The leaves grow opposite of each other, like most other native plants
- The problem is that they seem to grow anywhere in the native forest from gulches, windswept summits, ridges, damp areas
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